The disclosure relates to a device for the temperature control of battery cells of a battery, particularly a battery designed as an energy source for driving hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicles, wherein the device has a contact surface for thermally contacting the battery cells with the device, the contact surface being designed in such a way that the battery cells to be temperature-controlled can be arranged on the contact surface.
Batteries, such as, in particular, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, are of great importance as energy storage devices, especially for providing the energy required for driving in hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles. Just like other types of battery, lithium-ion batteries are generally constructed from one or more battery modules, with a plurality of battery cells of the same type being interconnected to form a battery module. For reliable operation of such batteries and for optimized use of such batteries, especially as regards performance and service life, it must be ensured that the batteries are used only in a certain temperature range. Thus, especially in the case of a high power input or a high power output, heating of the battery cells beyond a certain temperature must be avoided, especially to avoid shortening the service life of the battery cells and to avoid “thermal runaway” of the battery cells. For this reason, the batteries or battery cells are usually temperature-controlled. For temperature control, cooling plates through which there is a flow of coolant, in particular, are used as the devices mentioned at the outset, wherein a cooling plate of this kind is in thermal contact with the battery cells of the battery via a contact surface, especially by arrangement of the battery cells on the cooling plate. In this way, there is thermal energy transfer between the contact surface of a corresponding device and the battery cells, wherein thermal energy transfer is dependent on the heat transfer resistance between the battery cells and the contact surface. For low heat transfer resistance and thus good thermal energy transfer, good contact between the battery cells and the contact surface is required. However, this is often problematic, especially since the battery cells are usually clamped together to form a battery module and the individual battery cells thus often do not rest in an optimum manner on the contact surface of the device for the temperature control of the battery cells. This leads to a sharp rise in heat transfer resistance. The problem is additionally exacerbated here by age-related deformations of the battery cells and by vibration and shock, especially when such battery modules are used in vehicles. These unwanted effects can even lead to individual battery cells not being in thermal contact with the device for the temperature control of the battery cells. In this case, there is no longer the possibility of adequate temperature control of the battery cells concerned, as a result of which the battery cells and consequently even the entire battery can be irreparably damaged.
Given this background situation, it is an object of the present disclosure to improve a device mentioned at the outset, especially as regards the contacting of battery cells clamped together to form a battery module with the contact surface of a device for the temperature control of the battery cells. In particular, the intention here is to minimize gaps between the battery cells to be temperature-controlled and the contact surface.